Suzaki Hikari
by ObsidianEbony
Summary: She had found Naruto Uzumaki being beaten by a group of idiot adults. She decided that she was going to change that. "Hokage-sama, I would like to ask for your permission and officially adopt Naruto.”
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any media whatsoever. All I own is my hat, a few books, and myself (I think I have more, but I'm not sure.)

* * *

**Suzaki Hikari**

_Chapter One_

Konoha was in a festive mood. Today was October 10th, the day the Yondaime Hokage defeated Kyuubi. Music was played, sake was passed around, restaurants and bars were filled with happy people.

That was the mood when a young kunoichi walked through the gates of Konoha and into the village itself.

"Che, the security is so lax around here. I'll have to talk to Hokage-sama about this. If I were a missing-nin, I could've easily entered and destroyed the place."

The kunoichi paused a bit before going over to the abandoned gatehouse and grabbed the record book. After searching around in her pack, the kunoichi finally found a pen and wrote something down. Satisfied, she walked off.

Written on the record book in short, neat handwriting was the ninja's name, job, and purpose: _Suzaki Hikari, Jounin, returning from solo mission_.

* * *

Konoha was in a festive mood. Today was October 10th, the day the Yondaime Hokage defeated Kyuubi. Music was played, sake was passed around, restaurants and bars were filled with happy people.

Everyone was content, all except a little blonde five year-old boy named Uzumaki Naruto.

Naruto zipped through the streets, desperately evading all kicks, punches, and weapons thrown at him. He had done rather well, considering that he had been running at this pace for two hours straight.

"Die demon! Die!" A wall of earth blocked the Naruto's path of escape. Grinning, civilians and shinobi alike surrounded the cowering little boy.

"What did I ever do to you?" he asked in a quavering voice.

"What did you do?" a man sneered, "You killed our family, tore down our homes, and murdered the–" a hand clapped onto the man's mouth.

"You know we're not to talk about that event!" growled another man with strange swirling red eyes, "Enough with words, let's kill the demon and rescue Konoha! For Konoha!"

"FOR KONOHA!!" cheered the crowd as they began to beat the little boy in earnest.

* * *

"FOR KONOHA!!"

Hikari stopped eating her pocky for a few seconds, wondering what all the racket was all about.

"They finally decided to get rid of that demon," remarked a passerby, "'bout time too."

"What demon?" Hikari enquired.

The young man looked at her incredulously. How could anyone _not_ know about the demon? They would've had to be deaf, dumb, and blind to not know about it. But then he took note of her age. She must've been too young to remember the attack.

High shrieks, screams, and laughter filled the air. "Stop it!! Stop it!!"

Hikari dropped her pocky and raced over to where the screams originated from. What she saw infuriated and horrified her. A crowd of adults surrounded a young, bleeding, beaten-up boy who looked to only be about five.

"I'm not a demon!" the boy pleaded, "Stop it!"

"Why should we?"

"Because," an icy voice filled the air, "if you don't, I'll beat you all to a pulp and report you all to Hokage-sama."

The crowd looked over to see a young girl of twelve glaring at them menacingly.

One of the women looked at her skeptically, "Run along now little girl. Return to your okaa-san and otou-san and tell them to teach you to respect your elders."

"Respect?!" Hikari spat, "You expect me to respect all of you? All I see are a bunch of cowards ganging up on a child for a crime he probably did not commit. You call him demon? You're the demons! Never in all my life have I seen such a cruel act! You are all _despicable_."

The crowd was angry. How dare this girl call them cruel, despicable, and cowardly? They gathered up their weapons and started flinging them at her, driven on by fury and drunken madness.

She made a raised her hand, and a white shield of chakra formed around the girl, deflecting all of the weapons.

"I suggest you all flee before the ANBU reinforcements I called arrive." Hikari prayed that the shinobi wouldn't realize that she was bluffing. She knew she couldn't fight all the ninja by herself.

Thankfully, they seemed to believe her. The crowd quickly ran away, not wanting to attract ANBU attention.

Satisfied that all the people were gone, she turned her attention to Naruto.

Most of his injuries were healed, thanks to Kyuubi. Unlike most of the kids her age, she remembered Kyuubi's attack. Not only did she not hate Naruto for being the Kyuubi's container, but she also respected him for not falling to the clutches of insanity and hatred like the other Jinchuuriki had done.

She sighed. When would the villagers realize that Naruto was not the Kyuubi but the jailor of the Kyuubi? When would Hokage-sama realize that Naruto needed someone to support him 24/7? Not just money or an apartment, but a family and love? Poor Naruto.

Stooping down, she picked up Naruto's unconscious form and settled him on her back. Once he was secure, she set off towards her destination, the Hokage Tower.

* * *

The Sandaime sighed, looking forlornly at the mountains of paperwork in front of him. This was the one enemy that no Kage could ever defeat.

He had hoped that the paperwork would be put on hold for just one day so that he could enjoy the festival with his family. Instead, he was stuck inside this room, filling out papers and stamping forms that required his seal.

He glanced at his teacup, only to find that it was…shaking? This could only mean two things. One: there was an earthquake. Not too likely, Konoha wasn't built near any fault lines. Two: _she _was back. Quickly forming a jutsu to keep his well-organized stacks of paperwork from falling, he put his hat back on and tried his best to look stern and imposing, which was kind of hard, because he couldn't erase the grandfatherly aura he had around him.

"Hokage-samaaa!!" The door slammed open, shaking the entire room and nearly knocking the unfortunate door off its hinges.

Yes, Suzaki Hikari was back, and he had to pray to the high heavens that she wouldn't forcefully knock down his paperwork or mess it up.

"Give me all the information you got on Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Yes, nice to see you to— wha-?" Of all the things to say, he certainly hadn't been expecting that.

"Hokage-sama! Hurry! I need to see what's wrong with him! He's been spouting off irregular amounts of chakra! I had to seal off _all_of his chakra in order to keep it from burning me!"

The Sandaime Hokage was speechless. When did Hikari know Naruto? And what was this about burning chakra?

"Hokage-sama!"

"Yes!" the Hokage became calm once more. He pulled out one folder from his desk. It was one of the few folders he kept in it.

Hikari's eyes widened at the size of the folder. Were those medical forms? Jeez, how many times had Naruto been sent to the hospital?

She snatched the folder away from the Hokage's old hands and began furiously flipping through it.

"Height…weight…personal comments…mental health…assassination attempts…number of times what?!" Hikari looked at the Hokage with disbelieving eyes, "Assassination attempts?! I thought the ANBU guards would have prevented this!"

The Hokage looked at her, shame written all across his face, "Apparently, some ANBU don't like Naruto."

"This is unbelievable! How could they? I mean, they're ANBU for Kami's sake!" She stopped her rant. She had more important matters to deal with right now, like stopping the chakra bursts.

She flipped through the folder some more. Ah ha! Kyuubi-like behavior. She scanned the paper for anything useful. Most of it was a bunch of lies, saying that the Kyuubi had attacked innocent civilians. But at the bottom was a record of when Naruto was still a baby.

After five minutes of more flipping and reading, she set down the folder.

"Hokage-sama," she turned to face the bewildered village leader, "Please give me your ink and brush."

Not bothering to ask, he handed her the items. Swiftly and skillfully, she drew on both her and Naruto's arms and on the ground. Biting her thumbs and pinkies, she placed her bleeding fingers on the boy's stomach, where the Kyuubi's seal was. After making sure everything was perfect, she released a massive amount of chakra.

Naruto started screaming his head off. His eyes rolled back and his body would've curled into the fetal position if not for Hikari's hands and feet holding him down.

A few minutes later, the sealing was done and Naruto fell back into unconsciousness.

"What was that?" the Hokage asked, slightly awed by the skill and what had occurred.

"I," Hikari panted, slightly exhausted, "reinforced the seal. There'll be no more erratic chakra bursts from Kyuubi anymore. It will still heal Naruto but no more chakra than that."

The Hokage didn't even bother thinking about how Hikari knew about Kyuubi. She was smart and had also lived through the attack. She was also an accomplished ninja prodigy, mastering almost all of the ninja arts, including fuuinjutsu and a few dabbles in kinjutsu (although she would never let Hokage-sama know about that particular bit).

"Hokage-sama," the girl said suddenly, "I would like to ask for your permission and officially adopt Naruto."

"But Naruto is already adopted by someone."

"That someone obviously does not care for Naruto's wellbeing and probably can't wait for him to get killed."

"But—"

"No buts. I want to adopt Naruto and nothing will stand in my way, not even you, Hokage-sama."

Seeing that he could not possibly go against this determined girl's will, he sighed.

"Alright then," he drew up some forms.

"Sign here, here, and here."

She did as he said. "Congratulations, Suzaki Hikari. You are now the guardian of Uzumaki Naruto."

"Arigato Hokage-sama," she smiled softly.

"Now go home and set things up for Naruto. Now shoo!" The Hokage moved his hands in a shooing motion.

She smiled and picked up the small, sleeping little boy. As she crossed the threshold, she remarked, "By the way, Hokage-sama, you need to work on security a little. I had to take out two missing-nins on my way here."

With that, she shunshined off, leaving no trace that she was there, not even a puff of smoke.

* * *

**First Chapter is done! **

**I'm really thankful to D R A G O N L I L I E S for helping me set up this account. **

**If there are any problems with this story please leave a review/comment.**

**Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any media whatsoever. All I own is my hat (which I think is awesome), a few books, and me (I think I have more, but I'm not sure.)

* * *

Here's the next chappie!

Thank you to **D R A G O N L I L I E S**, **littlegreengirl, kuramasgurl018, ragnorokrising, **and **Gwenny-Dear** for reviewing and to all of you who read this fanfic. I'll try to update as frequently as I can with the school year just peeking its big ugly head (I don't _really_ mean that... I think) around the corner.

And to D R A G O N L I L I E S...

Thanks for saying my writing is "tops". I'll try to get that Harry Potter one but I still haven't typed it up yet. It's the laziness I have. Blame my genes.

Here's a short description of my OC:

Name: Suzaki Hikari

Age: 12

Height: 5' 3"

Weight: 101.3 lbs (pretty light)

Hair: Waist-length; silver with a tint of blue (not like Kakashi's but more…shiny)

Eye Color: deep shade of indigo

Ninja outifit: ninja vest, black shirt with a wide strip of white running across top, fishnet from hem to three inches away from white strip, and large sleeves (think kimono), black baggy pants, ninja sandals, katana

Rank: S-class Jounin

Notes: hair is often tied in either a braid or in a messy bun

Warning: If angered, can be very sadistic

Guardian of Uzumaki Naruto

**Suzaki Hikari**

**Chapter Two**

Naruto groaned as he woke up. His bed was unusually warm and fluffy. He snuggled deeper into it and let out a soft contented sigh. A giggle was heard from his right.

He sat up suddenly. Where was he? Where were the civilians, the shinobi? Had he escaped? Who had saved him? What happened to his clothes? Why was he wearing this big T-shirt and shorts? Wait a minute, this wasn't his house. It was _much_ bigger and cleaner and nicer.

"Naruto-kun."

He jumped, frightened. Who was this? Had they come to hurt him too?

Hikari felt a pang of sympathy in her heart. Then she felt angry. The villagers were such bigots and morons. How could they not realize what an angel this boy was? They had beaten him, belittled him, and hurt him so much that he couldn't tell good intentions from bad intentions.

"Don't worry," Hikari said soothingly, "I'm not going to harm you. Now let me see those wounds of yours."

He stared at her, not moving.

She sighed. "Alright. Be that way. I'm Suzaki Hikari. I'll go fix you some food. Does ramen sound good?"

"R-ramen?" he rasped, "What's that?"

Now it was her turn to stare. He didn't know what ramen was? Kami, how many stores had allowed him to eat there? One? Two? None?

"Ramen is noodles with many kinds of flavorings. (A/N: I know crappy description.) It's really good." With that, she left the room to prepare a bowl.

Naruto's blue eyes followed the strange person out. He was afraid. Other people had acted nice to him in the beginning, only to betray him in the end. But she seemed nicer. Her smiles looked genuine and she had offered him… ramen was it?

He then remembered the events of the festival. It was just the same as last year and the year before that. He had heard somewhere that birthdays were supposed to be happy and cheerful. But his were painful, filled with beatings, insults, and cruelty. Why did they call him a demon? He hadn't done anything wrong, right?

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me," he whispered, tears threatening to fall.

"It's your birthday?" He turned around, startled. The strange woman (A/N: It's more like girl, but he's five and she's twelve. It's a big difference when you're at that age. In my opinion.) was back, carrying a large steaming bowl of ramen.

"Here," she said kindly, handing him the bowl, "this is miso ramen." Seeing that he wasn't moving, she sighed and said, "It's not poisoned." Here she took a bite. "See?"

Reluctantly, he grabbed the chopsticks and bit off a tiny bit of a noodle. Then Naruto's eyes lit up, and he started wolfing down the entire bowl.

As he ate, she watched him with amused eyes. "So today's your birthday huh?" He nodded slowly. "That's great! We need to get a cake, gifts, and throw a party!" she said excitedly.

Naruto slowly put down the now-empty bowl and looked at her. "Why are you helping me?" Naruto asked, "I'm nothing but a demon. Everyone says so."

Hikari broke off from her list of things she should buy. "Listen, Naruto-kun. You are not a demon and never will be. The true demons are the ones who call you a demon, who can't see you for what you truly are. As for why I'm helping you, I'm your new guardian. You can call me Nee-chan or Kaa-chan. Take your pick."

"B-but I," Naruto faltered.

"No buts," she told him sternly, "As your guardian, I have to take care of you, and that means that I have to help you in any way possible. Now which is it, Nee-chan or Kaa-chan?"

"K-kaa-chan. I-I've always wanted a mama," Naruto said as he burst into sobs.

Hikari had never been more bewildered (besides her first encounter with Gai). "What's wrong, Naru-chan?"

"N-no one's ever tr-treated me this nice before!"

Not knowing what else to do, she embraced him, hugging him tightly. "Shh, shh. It's okay. I won't let anyone hurt you again. Not while I'm around. Do you want me to tell you a story?"

Naruto tearily nodded.

"Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Naruto..."

* * *

She looked down affectionately. Naruto had fallen asleep. Tucking him into the covers of her bed, she yawned and headed over to the couch and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Sunlight streamed in through the window shutters and the sounds of shops opening and people going about came in.

Naruto opened his eyes and found himself in a light green room. It was the same room that was in his dream. He gasped and then pinched himself. It wasn't a dream. Someone actually cared about him.

"Ohayou, Naru-chan!"

Hikari balanced a tray of food as she came in.

He hoped that his mama had made more ramen. To his disappointment, he found bacon and some pieces of toast and butter with a glass of milk. Although that bacon did smell pretty good.

"No ramen?" he asked her, hoping that she had a bowl of ramen hidden behind her back.

"Now Naru-chan, eating ramen isn't too healthy," she reprimanded. If I gave you ramen every single day, you'd be HUGE." To emphasize her point, she spread her hands out as far as they could go. "But I'll take you out for even better ramen once a week, 'kay?"

"Okay!" he chirped, "Itadakimasu!"

As he gulped down his breakfast, Hikari said, "We're going to have to get you some new stuff. Like new clothes, PJs, and stuff like that. I know, I'll take you shopping!"

Naruto's eyes shone. "Arigato Kaa-chan! munch, munch Can we also visit Jiji? chew, swallow Gochisosama deshita! (Thanks for the meal)"

"Who's Jiji?"

"Jiji is Jiji! He wears the big hat and has his face on the mountain!"

"Hokage-sama is Jiji?" Hikari snickered at the affectionate term Naruto used.

"Yup!"

"Yosh! Naruto's Shopping Experience begins in one hour!"

She picked him up carefully, not wanting to bump any of his bruises and took him over to the bathroom. "Now Naru-chan, last night, you got extra dirty, so I'm going to have to give you a bubble bath. But first, I need to check all your wounds to make sure you're alright. Okay?"

He nodded, gently sucking his thumb.

"First of all, is there anywhere that hurts?"

Naruto sucked a bit harder on his thumb, thinking. "My back feels funny, and my tummy hurts."

"Okay, can you turn around and lift your shirt up?"

She saw little pieces of glass embedded into the flesh of his back. "Naru-chan, I want you to hold your breath for as long as you can and stay very still. When I say go, let your breath out as hard as you can.

As Naruto held his breath, she swept her hands over his back, leaving some chakra to stay on the glass. Then she formed a light chakra bubble in front of her. "Go Naru-chan!" He exhaled, and the pieces of glass popped out, hitting the chakra bubble and dropping down harmlessly. As she picked up the pieces of glass, she noted that red chakra healed the small marks on his back, making it seem that it had never been hurt before.

"You said your tummy hurt?" Naruto nodded, "Let me see your tummy."

He turned back around and she pressed a cool hand on his stomach. It growled a little. She started chuckling. "Well, it seems that you're still hungry. Let's get you washed up first and then we'll go out to eat and shop."

Naruto stopped sucking on his thumb and allowed his mama to lower him into the tub. To his amazement, bubbles filled the top. He giggled and splashed a bit onto his mama. She laughed merrily and splashed him back; making sure that he got a bubble beard.

Soon, the bathroom resembled a battlefield, filled with bubbles and both parties were soaked and giggly.

After drying themselves off and getting dressed, they set out for downtown Konoha.

* * *

_Thunk, thunk._ Shuriken landed on the traning posts, each accurately hitting dead-center of the target. Next, the shinobi grabbed six kunai and threw them, knocking the previously thrown shuriken out of their positions.

Itachi landed gracefully on the ground, watching his brother's awed face.

"You can come out now Sasuke," Itachi said softly, startling the hiding boy.

"That was amazing Aniki!" Sasuke said excitedly, "Do you think you can teach me how to do that? You did promise me that we could go target training." This last sentence was said with a hopeful tone.

Itachi inwardly sighed. "Sorry Sasuke. Maybe next time." He felt guilty as he saw the disappointed look on his brother's face. He had made so many promises to Sasuke, but he had never found the time to train him. With ANBU training and duties, he could hardly find time for himself, let alone Sasuke.

"It's okay," Sasuke muttered, "I understand." He looked down dejectedly. He had been hoping that he could spend some time with his brother.

"Watch this," he cried out suddenly, trying to impress his brother.

"Wait Sasuke you might—" BAM!!

"Ow!"

"—hurt yourself," Itachi sighed, "Come on. Let's get you home so Kaa-san can fix you up."

Hoisting Sasuke up on his back, the Uchiha siblings headed off for the Uchiha district.

* * *

Suzaki Hikari was not at all happy. The day had started out alright. They had eaten at Ichiraku Ramen, where Naruto thought he had entered food heaven.

Then they had gone to the park for a while, which, by the way, was not a good idea. She had left to go buy ice cream for the two of them. When she returned she saw children and teenagers swarming over her adopted son, kicking and punching.

After getting away from the park and telling Naruto that some kids just didn't understand others, they had gone to buy Naru-chan's stuff. Which brought them to _this_.

"Look girlie, we don't let demons buy stuff here!"

"What do you mean? Does this look like a demon to you? No, he looks like an innocent five year-old to me!" To say that Suzaki Hikari was angry would be the understatement of all time. She was **furious**! How dare these people let terror and unjustified prejudices cloud their mind! How long had this been going on?! If the shopkeeper in front of her weren't a Konoha civilian, she would have unleashed a torrent of her most lethal jutsu on the idiot man.

"That there is the demon! Why are you even standing up for him?" A crowd had gathered around the elderly shopkeeper, furious kunoichi, and confused little boy.

"Because—" she cut herself off. Sandaime-sama had forbidden everyone to talk about the Kyuubi on pain of death.

"That's right," he sneered, "You can't even find an excuse. You're just a demon-lover!"

Something in Hikari snapped. "How dare you?! All of you should be ashamed of yourselves! Did any of you even think of what Naruto has been through all these years? How much pain has he suffered because none of you can let go of the past? I saw kids both his age and older beating him earlier! What have you been teaching your own children? To beat up anyone who's different and doesn't fit in? You are all the true demons!"

Her anger flared up, releasing an immense amount of killer intent. The nearby ninja and civilians cowered at the sheer force this little girl emitted.

"Come on Naru-chan. Let's go somewhere where we can buy stuff without having to see idiots like this," she sneered.

"Hey! Come back! I'm not finished with you yet you brat!" A kunai whizzed through the air and embedded itself just a few millimeters away from the shopkeeper's head.

"Next time, I won't miss," Hikari said coldly, "Leave Naruto and me alone or suffer the consequences."

The crowd could only stare dumbly at the retreating backs of Konoha's jinchuuriki and his new guardian.

When they were safely out of hearing, Hikari turned to face Naruto, who still looked slightly in shock. "Naru-chan?"

"Why do they always call me demon? I've never done anything to them, not even stomped on their foot."

Hikari sighed. How was she going to tell him that Kyuubi lived within him? She needed to talk to the Hokage.

"Let's go visit Hokage-sama, alright? I bet he has the answers."

"Yay! Jiji!" Naruto brightened up instantly at the mention of seeing his grandfatherly figure.

The two made their way to the Hokage tower. Once inside, she passed many busy shinobi turning in reports and filing away information.

"Hello Yamamoto-san," Hikari greeted the Hokage's most trusted and efficient secretary politely, "I'd like to see Hokage-sama about something. Is he in a meeting right now or is he free?"

The elderly woman looked at Hikari with slightly fond eyes. The child was always polite and respectful towards her when even the elite ANBU or jounin always made comments about her being a 'senile old broad'. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Naruto staring at her.

"Hi Yama-baa-chan!" Naruto liked the old lady. She always slipped him sweets and made sure the Hokage had time to see him whenever he was in the hospital.

"Hello Naruto-kun," Yamamoto looked up at Suzaki Hikari. It was good to see that there was another person who didn't see Naruto as a demon. "Hokage-sama should be free right now Suzaki-san. If you count being swamped in paperwork being free." She snorted. The old man always snuck out for sake and tea and constantly peeped at those little porn novels of his.

"Thanks Yamamoto-san. Come on Naru-chan! We can go see Jiji now!"

Naruto bounced happily at the side of Suzaki Hikari, whose eyes twinkled with laughter.

Yamamoto shook her head. "Naruto will do that child some good. She's always too serious."

Sarutobi giggled pervertedly at a certain scene in his beloved Icha Icha. Note to self: Thank Jiraiya for writing such 'interesting literature'.

"I'll take that thank you very much," a voice snapped and his Icha Icha Paradise, Version 2.0, Moonlight Adventures, autographed by his student, disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"I'd appreciate it if you did not corrupt Naru-chan's mind," Hikari told him sternly, "He does not need to see or even hear about that…that disgusting book ever! I don't want him to grow up acting like Kakashi does in his spare time."

"Glad to see you to Hikari-chan," the Hokage sighed mournfully. That had been a limited edition too!

"What can I do for you?"

Hikari paused. How should she go about this? Subtle or blunt? Blunt it was. "I request permission to," here, she used a light genjutsu on Naruto, "tell Naru-chan about Kyuubi."

"WHAT?!"

"If Naru-chan never knows about his 'condition' shall we say, he will grow up thinking that everyone hated him for no reason at all. At least if he knows, he will be able to understand what they feel, no matter how stupid they act. Besides, telling Naru-chan about Kyuubi now will be better than some drunken fool screaming at him about it."

"But—"

"I don't care about the law. I'll tell him myself even if I will be executed. The child needs to know."

"You too are only a child," the Hokage said softly.

She laughed bitterly. "I think I lost my childhood many years ago. I don't want the same thing to happen to Naru-chan or anyone else. No one deserves to lose their innocent views that early, not even Orochimaru himself."

Sarutobi smiled sadly. Hikari had experienced things that had changed her so much from a naïve little girl to a mature young woman in a child's body.

"You may tell him when he graduates from the Academy."

"The Academy?"

"Naruto's secret ambition is to become Hokage one day. He says it's because then people will respect him."

"Such a big dream."

"Yes, but with the right attitude and training, it can become reality."

She gently dispelled the light genjutsu she had on Naruto. "Oh yeah, yesterday was Naru-chan's birthday! We need to find a cake, new clothes, and new furniture! Do you know where to find that stuff?"

The Hokage thought. "The Akimichi's own a pretty large restaurant so you can get your cake there. Clothes and furniture… there's a store owned by a relative of Yamamoto's. They'll probably sell you some stuff including ninja apparel for Naruto-kun's Academy experience."

"Thanks Hokage-sama!" she flashed him a smile equal to one of Gai's mega-watt grins, "You're invited to the party!"

"What party?"

"Naruto's birthday party, silly. It'll be pretty small, considering that there'll only be me, you, my team, Naru-chan and Yamamoto-san. Well, I'll see if I can get more people to come. Be sure to tell Yamamoto-san about it."

"I will. Arigato Hokage-sama!"

And so another chapter done. This one was mainly transition and a buildup to Naruto learning about the Kyuubi as well as introducing Itachi to the plot.

I'm not sure if I should make Hikari and Itachi have a romantic relationship or one that's just friendly. Bit I'm determined to keep Itachi in there somehow.

Please give your thoughts on this by reviewing/commenting.

Thanks and Bye!


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note:

I am very sorry for those who waited for me to update. School is taking up a lot of my time, as well as swimming, my music… I don't have a lot of time to myself anymore. (Cue weeping noises) Plus, I have a stupid cold. This chapter has been sitting on my computer for God-knows-how-long. It's been crying for me to upload it.

Thank you to all who reviewed and left a comment: **Gwenny-Dear, D R A G O N L I L I E S, Elemental Dragon Swordman, kuramasgurl018, SirArkAngel, littlegreengirl, and ragnorokrising.** Thanks also goes to all those who favorited this story and/or added it to your "story alert" list.

To **Gwenny-Dear**: Thank you **so** much for telling me about the mistake in the conversation. I honestly had no idea that that was there. I'll try to add in a "correct" version in this chapter. The author's notes I put there just in case somebody didn't understand. And about the page break at the end… I can honestly say that I forgot about it. Heh heh. I also noticed how I said "Bit I'm determined to keep Itachi in there somehow," instead of 'but'. Thanks! (Bigot is a nice word, isn't it?)

To **D R A G O N L I L I E S**: Yes, you called me, and now I'm updating. Happy? I hope so.

To **SirArkAngel**: I'll keep in mind your suggestions about the people training Naruto, bloodlines, and time skips and flashbacks. They were very much appreciated and I will consider them.

OoOoOoOoOoOo!

Okay then, I want all you readers' opinions on if Itachi and Hikari should have a romantic relationship or one that's strictly friendship. (I'm not sure if I can write one where there's _just_ a hint of ItachixHikari or not.)

OoOoOoOoOoOo!

Disclaimer: I am most definitely **not** an anime-producing company, nor am I Masashi Kishimoto-sensei or a manga-publishing company.

* * *

**(A/N: Here's the "corrected" portion of Hokage-sama's and Hikari's conversation I promised Gwenny-Dear. It's still mostly the same**.**)**

"Naruto's birthday party, silly. It'll be pretty small, considering that there'll only be me, you, my team, Naru-chan and Yamamoto-san. Well, I'll see if I can get more people to come. Be sure to tell Yamamoto-san about it."

"I will. Don't worry."

"Arigato Hokage-sama!"

* * *

**Suzaki Hikari**

**Chapter Three**

The Akimichis had been slightly wary of Naruto and Hikari when the two entered their restaurant. They too held grudges against the Kyuubi locked up inside Naruto. However, Hikari had worked with a few Akimichi during some missions. Those shinobi had warmed up to her a bit, and she was well-known kunoichi within the shinobi ranks.

In the end, Hikari got a rather large and fancy ice cream cake for her Naru-chan, courtesy of one Akimichi Chota, nephew of Akimichi Choza.

The next stop on Naru-chan's Shopping Experience was Yamamoto's relative's store, also known as Shinji's Whatever You Want, We Got! Store.

A young man wearing what seemed to be the store's uniform walked over. "Hello, did you lose your mother little girl?"

Hikari stiffened and counted extremely slowly to ten in her mind. She _loathed_ being called "little girl". _Ichi… Ni…_

"If you can come with me, I'm sure we can find your mother." _San… Shi… Go…_ She balled up her fists.

"Kaa-chan?" Naruto looked up at her with his cobalt eyes, "What's he talking about. I have you right here." _Roku… Shichi… _She gritted her teeth and her eye twitched.

"Little boy," the attendant looked down at him, confused, "She's not your mother. Oh! Are you trying to report a lost child? Well, we must find his mother as quickly as possible. We can't have—" _Hachi… Kyu…_ Multiple veins started popping out as the attendant grasped her wrist and started pulling her to the right, weaving through racks of clothes.

"—his mother worrying, now can we? Now just tell me his name, you can go back to your own mother." _Juu…_

"Excuse me sir," she said in a sickly sweet voice with a light smile, "I can assure you that I am not lost, and Naru-chan here is most definitely not lost. Now if you will _kindly_ let go of me, we will be off."

"But—"

She smile turned feral, and her eyes glinted menacingly, "If you do not let my son and I shop in peace, I'm afraid that we will have to… send you away. Very. Far. Away." She fingered a kunai that she had taken from her pouch.

"Now see here," the flustered attendant said, "You can't just—"

"I can't just what?" Hikari said with a light snarl, "I think I'm old enough to buy things here without an adult. Did you think that I would need supervision lest I lose my way around or get in trouble?" While speaking, she had shifted into a taijutsu stance.

"Um, er…" the attendant stammered.

"What's going on here?" An old man had walked over to the two, also wearing the store's uniform.

"Sir, these two seem to be lost and can't find their mothers," the younger man said, relieved that his superior had come over to help, "I was trying to help, but I don't know how to get them to cooperate."

The old man looked at the two minors in front of him. The blonde looked like an ordinary kid, but the silver-haired one…

"Shouta," the old man said patiently, as if talking to a child, "If you had looked carefully, you would have seen that that girl over there is a kunoichi. I'm sure that she's perfectly capable of taking care of both this fine young boy and herself."

"Oh," Shouta said as he absorbed this new piece of information. He turned to Hikari and bowed, "I'm terribly sorry miss. I didn't know, and if I offended you, I apologize." Shouta bowed once more and walked away, probably to find another person to "help".

"Sorry about that," the old man sighed, "Shouta's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's family and very polite. Is there anything you need help with?"

"Yes," Hikari said, "I need to find the furniture department and the clothes department for Naru-chan. And it's okay about Shouta-san. It's just that I _really _don't like being called '_little_ girl'."

The old man looked relieved that she wasn't going to go all "I'll talk to Hokage-sama about this" on him like other shinobi had. This was a store with a clean reputation, and he wanted _nothing _to tarnish it.

"The furniture department is in the back, and the young boys' clothes section is to your right. Is there anything else?"

"Um," Hikari said hesitantly, "Are you by any chance…related to one of Hokage-sama's secretaries?"

"Mai-chan?" the old man chuckled, "What'd she do? Lecture you to the point of insanity?"

"Mai-chan?"

"Yama-baa-chan!" Naruto chirped.

"Baa-chan? I would pay big money to see he look on her face if one of the ANBU called her that. I'm Daichi, her younger brother."

"Yama-baa-chan has an otouto?"

"Yes," Daichi ruffled Naruto's hair, "She and I are part of the Yamamoto clan, a large civilian clan originating from Kumo. That's where Shouta came from. If there's anything else you need, feel free to talk to Shouta or me."

"Arigato Yama-jii-chan!" Naruto said happily, wide eyes looking at a rather comfy bed.

Daichi burst into laughter at his new 'nickname' and walked off.

"Well Naru-chan," Hikari said, "Let's get shopping!"

The next few hours were spent searching for various articles of clothing and buying a few new items for Naruto, including a bed (with fluffy pillows), a froggy toothbrush and cup, a stuffed pig plushie, and an assortment of different-flavored ramen cups.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO!

Itachi sighed. His father had 'suggested' that he take the ANBU exam. He knew he would pass it with flying colors, but was being an assassin 24/7 his path? The prospect of having to hide his identity from fellow ninja and colleagues was not something he enjoyed particularly. But how to tell his father this? He didn't want to disobey his father, but he was mature enough to start thinking for himself, like Shisui.

Shisui. His cousin had been acting a bit strange lately. Shisui would always appear whenever he thought of taking a break or lazing about, asking to train or telling him that they should get a new mission together. Training and missions weren't everything. Although to the Uchihas, the two things probably seemed like it. What had happened to the days where he and Shisui played together in the courtyard or ran around, trying to mimic other Jounin Uchiha with toy kunai and shuriken?

But Shisui was probably just trying to become a better ninja, to improve his skills by sparring with Itachi. After all, constantly being compared to Itachi would make anyone be determined to outshine him. Although Shisui was a genjutsu master, he would always be known for his slightly lacking taijutsu skills and be belittled for it.

There was also the matter of the mission the Council had given him. It was either Konoha or Uchiha. Which side would eventually dominate the ninja village in the end? All the recent Uchiha clan meetings were about tactics on how to corrupt and destroy the current Konoha Council from the inside and how to replace important board members with Uchihas. The Council had been pressuring him to spy for them, act as their eyes within his own family.

Itachi gritted his teeth with frustration. Which side to choose? The Council was full of manipulative old fogeys who didn't care a whit about how he felt. However, the decisions they made were for the "good of Konoha". The Uchiha clan had been getting more and more demanding of him, often causing him to go berserk in the middle of some missions in order to let off some steam.

There was only one innocent Uchiha left that was worth staying for. Sasuke. Dear, sweet, innocent, little Sasuke, his younger brother. How would his decisions affect his otouto's life? Already, Fugaku was brainwashing him with tales of glorious battles the Uchiha had played key in, even going so far as to tell Sasuke that other ninjas were weaker than them, worth less than the mud they tread upon.

Snorting, he pulled out multiple shuriken and flung them out in various directions. A satisfying _thunk_ was heard as they hit bull's-eye.

There was nothing beautiful or glorious about battle. The bloodshed on the battlefield would forever haunt his mind. The screams of shinobi as they drew their last breath plagued his dreams. Not to mention the Kyuubi. The Kyuubi had been terrifying, killing off so many seasoned ninja with just a flick of its fiery tails. It had even taken the life of the Yondaime, the greatest ninja in Konoha.

How long was it before the Uchiha clan destroyed both itself and Konoha? How long was it before Itachi had to make his choice: family or village?

OoOoOoOoOoOoO!

"Happy birthday to you!" the group of ninja sang (in a slightly off-key tone). They all cheered as Naruto blew out the five candles on his cake.

Asuma, the Hokage's son, had come at the request of his father. He also brought his friends along with him. This made the originally planned four-person party into a seventeen person gathering, celebrating Naruto's birthday. Asuma's friends included his brother's family, Kurenai, Anko, Ibiki (although the man creeped him out a little), Kakashi, the ever-youthful Gai, Hayate, Genma, and Ebisu.

"Presents!" Hikari shouted as she picked up Naruto and led him over to the rather large pile of brightly gift-wrapped presents. "We can eat cake later." She whispered in a confidential manner into her son's ear.

They practically bounced over to them, and she began handing him the smallest present first.

"'Dear Naruto, hope you have a good life, grow up, and become a real man. Signed… Hatake Kakashi.' What's that supposed to mean? Naru-chan _can't_ grow up, he's my baby!" she wailed as she glared at Kakashi.

"Technically speaking," he said calmly, "He's not your baby. You've only had him for about two days. Plus, the reason we're all here is to celebrate one more year of Naruto-kun's life, which means we're celebrating his growing up."

"Oh yeah? Well…well…you're an old nanny goat wearing a pink frilly tutu!"

"I don't see what that has to do with Naruto-kun growing up."

"What do you mean? It makes perfect sense!"

Kakashi sighed. He knew that the young Jounin was a bit…insane, but he didn't know that she would be so trying and nonsensical.

"Kaa-chan, Kaa-chan!" Naruto tugged on Hikari's pants. "Look what One-eye gave me! It's a picture book!" He smiled with glee as he flipped through the pages. Maybe his Kaa-chan would read it to him at night!

"One-eye?!" If Kakashi hadn't been wearing a mask, everyone in the vicinity would have burst out laughing at his expression.

"Picture book?" Hikari looked confused. Kakashi wasn't the type to go buy a child's picture book. Unless…

"Naru-chan?" she smiled sweetly, "Would you please hand me that book. I want to see if there are any…_inappropriate_ pictures in it."

Naruto innocently gave the book to Hikari. It was just as she expected. _Icha Icha Paradise, Volume Four, Edition Nine, Sunset Rapture_.

"What are you trying to do?!" she screamed as she rounded on a now visibly sweating Kakashi, "Destroy Naru-chan's virgin eyes with this…this porn?! Do you know what you're trying to do, you baka?! If you ever let Naru-chan catch even a glimpse of your smutty novels, I swear I will castrate you and hang you from the nose of the First Hokage on the monument! Am I understood?"

"Y-yes ma'am." Kakashi did not want to lose his cough special parts cough so early in life, nor have to suffer hanging from a stone nostril. Yes sirree, Kakashi understood what Hikari meant _perfectly_.

Naruto stood there wondering what this was all about. Apparently the picture book One-eye had bought him had in— inoplopiette pictures in it, so Kaa-chan couldn't read it to him. Oh well, thought Naruto, Kaa-chan can still read the other books she bought for me.

The rest of the presents were all very child-friendly. While Hikari had been shouting, all the male ninja (aka Gai, Ebisu, Genma, and Asuma) had Shunshin-no-jutsu-ed out to buy toys that were more suited for children of Naruto's age. Daichi had been thrilled to help out. The three men had bought new presents, not wanting to upset Hikari and hang from Hokage Mountain with Kakashi.

Asuma's brother's family had given him an ornate photo album to 'place precious memories in'.

Kurenai had gotten Naruto a little seed packet, some soil, a flower pot, fertilizer, and watering pot. She had explained to him how to grow a plant in detailed instructions on her card. Naruto thanked her profusely and put the little package on his bedroom window sill.

Asuma (who originally got Naruto a packet of cigarettes) got Naruto a pile of board games and a simple guide on how to play them.

Anko had gotten him a snake plushie to go with his pig plushie. Hebi-chan was quite happily snuggled with Bun-chan. Naruto kissed her cheek and gave her a hug, calling her Anko-nee-chan. (Unfortunately, this caused Naru-chan to be squeezed to near death and Hikari had to forcibly remove Anko from Naru-chan in order to save her son's life.)

Ibiki, whose present was wrapped in simple black paper, presented to Naruto a ninja weapons set (dulled of course) along with a black trench coat. "For the intimidation factor," he would later tell his peers.

Gai had gotten Naru-chan a set of weights, along with a fruit basket with the words 'Springtime of Youth' printed neatly on the side. He gave him the good-guy pose and smiled brilliantly. Naruto, slightly dazed by this spandex-clad man, accepted the basket with a weak smile and tried not to be blinded by the sheer brightness of the smile.

Hayate had brought a ninja handbook. Due to his illness, he didn't go out to parties often and had no idea what to bring. Since Naruto had the ambition of becoming the village leader, he figured that the boy might want to know the rules of the village first.

Genma, who was quite a flirtatious man, had gotten Naruto a pair of 'stylish' sunglasses. "Babes love the shades," he whispered confidentially to Naruto, "They make us look manly and cool." Hikari then proceeded to bash in his head for "putting ideas" in her Naru-chan.

Ebisu, who had originally thought of getting Naruto an Icha-Icha like Kakashi, decided to get him a child's book on chakra theory.

Yamamoto (now known as Mai-baa-chan) presented to Naruto with a small, orange notebook "so you can write down all the wonderful thoughts in your head".

Second to last was Sarutobi. He carefully took out a wrapped package from the folds of his Hokage robe. Naruto excitedly unwrapped the package and found an authentic Hokage's hat that was just his size. He squealed with joy and proceeded to parade around the room with it on, showing it off to all his guests.

And last but not least was Hikari. She had bought his gift from Daichi's shop when Naru-chan wasn't looking. Handing him the package, she watched with a sense of satisfaction as he eagerly opened the gift-wrapped box. Inside lay two sets of shinobi clothing, two kunai pouches, a pair of ninja sandals, and (his favorite) a miniature sword (blunt of course). He looked at the present in awe as he gazed upon the shining blade and fancy hilt. Though he was only a five year-old, he could tell that it was very well-made.

"Arigato Kaa-chan!" he tackled her and they both went down laughing. The group of party guests looked on affectionately at the two and joined in the laughter.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo!

Nighttime had arrived and a very sleepy Naru-chan bade his newfound aunts, uncles, and sister farewell.

Hikari carried him over to his bedroom, where a warm bed and thick covers waited.

"Kaa-chan?"

"Hm?"

"Tell me a story? Please?"

The young kunoichi gazed fondly at her newly-adopted son.

"Once, not too long ago, there lived a great Hokage. This Hokage was no ordinary Hokage. He was strong, smart, and kind, and the people of his Konoha loved him.

"One day, a creature called a bijuu came. Bijuu were legendary beings, made of pure chakra and incredibly powerful. This bijuu was the most powerful of them all, the Kyuubi, or the Nine-tailed Fox.

"Now Konoha was in trouble. Kyuubi had started attacking the village for an unknown reason. It's tails waved about so furiously that mountains were crushed and tidal waves were sent crashing onto the shore. People were getting hurt and many brave shinobi had fallen.

"The Hokage decided to take matters into his own hands. Riding on the back of a giant toad, he went face-to-face with Kyuubi. Using a special sealing jutsu, he sealed Kyuubi and all its power into a tiny baby. But the price of casting this jutsu was high: his soul. His last words were for the baby boy to be treated as a hero, a savior.

"The people of Konoha grieved and wept for their Hokage. Kyuubi had finally gone, but their beloved leader had also gone. The previous Hokage took charge and started rebuilding Konoha, so that it would be strong and beautiful once again."

Hikari smiled gently, "And now, Konoha has become one of the strongest shinobi nations in the world. We have stood up once more, all thanks to the sacrifice of one kind Hokage."

She looked down. Naru-chan had already nodded off, breathing softly and shifting slightly in his covers.

Sighing, she looked at the moon, at the luminescent pearl in the sky. _Yondaime-sama, are you proud of Konoha? Do you think we _have_ become strong?_

OoOoOoOoOo!

**Author's Note:**

Uwaaaa! This took me sooooo long to write coughthree dayscough.

I tried to make up for the long period of time with a longer chapter, but I don't think I did too well. It's only about 400 some words more than chapter 2.

I'm not sure if I should've put in that part with Shouta in or described all of Naru-chan's gifts. Heck, I'm not even sure if I got all the people.

If you look at my "Favorite Stories" list, you will see that it has grown considerably since my last update. This is because I have spent most of my free time reading and not writing. Sorry! X3

Anyways… I'm going to stop babbling now.

Oh yeah… Before I forget:

**Itachi:** Romance or friendship with Hikari? (Right now they're about the same age. Itachi's a bit older though.)

**Please leave your thoughts on this chapter by sending me a review. Thanks! Happy Halloween (although there's still about two weeks)!**

**P.S I'm debating whether I should be a witch or not. I have been for the past two years, but I really can't imagine myself as anything else! If you have any ideas, please tell me!**

I am _seriously_ going to stop babbling now.


	4. Chapter 4

This is my belated Christmas present to all of you. Sorry it's kinda late. We got stuck in traffic and whatnot. The highway got blocked from a snowstorm, a "complete white-out" to quote the traffic dude who wouldn't let us go through. Also, I've been catching up on some new fanfics. (esp. from "Storm Hawks")

Well, after two months of fighting off newer and eviler plot bunnies, I have finally found the time to update this fic. (Haha! In your face plot bunnies!)

Anyway…my most heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you who reviewed (**Gwenny-Dear, ragnorokrising, Elemental Dragon Swordman, **and** D R A G O N L I L I E S**) and put it on your favorites list or Story Alert list.

To **Gwenny-Dear**: Thank you for another great review! In the end, I decided to go as a witch (though my hat kept falling off). I thought the gypsy idea was great too! I think I'll take up your suggestion on footnotes (at least, that's what I _think_ I'm doing). Sorry if there wasn't another vocab. word in here like "fogey" or "bigoted".

To **ragnarokrising:** Yes, I do know that Ebisu giving Naru-chan an Icha-Icha was very far-fetched, but I was running out of ideas back then. I do realize that it sounds sort of stupid, but I never really liked Ebisu until recently. (two weeks ago)

To **Elemental Dragon Swordman**: Thanks for the comment about Hikari being a good mother! It made me feel all warm inside.

To **D R A G O N L I L I E S:** Thank you for telling me about your fangirl mode. I too sometimes (most of the time) go in hyperactive fangirl mode. Now it's kind of a yaoi-fangirlism now. Straight relationships just don't seem as exciting anymore. Anyway, I can't stop listening to Alice Human Sacrifice (which is not mine) ever since you told me about it. My favorite Vocaloid song is Servant of Evil.

Here's something I've begun doing. If you hadn't noticed on my other fics, it's song of the day. I just want to let all you people out there know about my favorite song without having to add it to my ever-growing list on my profile. (The list is there to help me remember what to put on my iPod or what to listen to on YouTube. Heh heh.)

Well, here's this time's **Song of the Day**: "Once Upon a December" from the movie "Anastasia" (which I do not own). I recommend the one made by tanit 1122 on YouTube. (It focuses on Itachi!)

**Random Thing of the Day**: (this is also something I've decided to put on here as part of my insane rambling) I HATE sunburns. I got one from two weeks ago (I know, who gets sunburns in the middle of December?!) and it still _burns_ whenever I try to wash my face. But hey, a clean, stinging face is better than one that feels like it got washed and rinsed with dirt…right?

**Disclaimer**: I unfortunately never will own the Naruto media, manga, anime…ever…unless I suddenly become rich and hire Masashi Kishimoto-san to continue doing it under my new company of mangakas. But that is _extremely_ unlikely and I probably wouldn't do that anyway. Instead, I'd build an academy on top of a treehouse. It's always been a dream of mine to go to school in an awesome treehouse.

So…to stop my insane babbling, I will now start the chappie XD!

* * *

**Suzaki Hikari**

**Chapter Four**

"Kaa-chan! Kaa-chan! Wake up! Wake up!"

A heavy bundle jumped up and down on her bed. Hikari groaned and snuggled deeper under the covers. _It's waaay too early for this. _"Call me up again at noon," she grumbled.

"But it's the first day of school!"

Hikari sat up. How could she have forgotten? Today was the day when Naru-chan got to enter the Ninja Academy!

_

* * *

_

"_Hikari?"_

"_Hokage-sama?"_

"_Are you planning on letting Naruto-kun enter the Academy?" The old man puffed on his pipe while slowly sipping his tea._

_She looked at him incredulously. "Of course I am! It's one of the big steps to achieving Naru-chan's dream!"_

"_Have you signed the registration forms yet?"_

"_Registration forms?" she repeated slowly._

"_Yes, didn't you know?" He looked at her surprised. "All guardians of the entering children must fill out registration forms in order for them to take classes. A messenger was supposed to send you the forms."_

"_I never got any forms," Hikari said slowly, eyes narrowing in realization._

_The Hokage sighed in frustration. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a sheaf of papers. "Please put down Naruto-kun's contact information and your contact information in case of emergencies. Should anything happen to Naruto-kun, the teachers will inform you immediately."_

_Hikari took the papers and started filling them out systematically. "Name…date of birth…address…"_

* * *

_After finishing with signing the bottom, she handed the forms to the Hokage. "How can I trust any of the teachers to tell me if anything is wrong? They'll most likely hate Naru-chan's _tenant_ and try to kill him themselves."_

"_It probably won't come to that," the old man reassured. "But if there is any mistreatment of Naruto-kun, I personally will punish them accordingly."_

_Hikari bit her lip. The Hokage was offering to protect her son? The young kunoichi and her child had gotten really close over the past few months _(1)_. She didn't want anything to hurt him. But if the Hokage, the strongest shinobi in Konoha, was looking after him when she couldn't, then Naru-chan _should_ be fine._

"_Alright. When does the Academy start?"_

"_In two weeks' time. I hope everything will go along smoothly."_

"_Hai, Hokage-sama."_

_

* * *

_

The large gates of the Academy campus stood in front of mother and son. Naruto looked at the building in awe, as if it were the legendary Ramen Shop of the Gods.

"Is this where I'll be going?" he asked innocently to his adoptive mother.

"Yup!" She grinned at him. "For the next few years, you'll be learning about all sorts of useful stuff and about using chakra."

"What's chakra?"

"You'll learn about it in my class." A young, smiling, brown-haired man walked up to them. As he got closer, Hikari could see a scar on the front of his face.

"I'm Umino Iruka, one of the teachers here at the Academy. Nice to meet you. (2)" He extended a hand to Hikari, who shook it warily.

Iruka then noticed little Naruto hiding behind his mother. Smiling warmly, he crouched down to Naruto's level. "And who's this handsome little devil."

"I'm not a devil!" Naruto exclaimed, forgetting his previous shyness. "I'm Suzaki-Uzumaki Naruto (3), the next Hokage!" He struck a 'heroic' pose, causing Iruka to chuckle good-naturedly.

"Well, Mr. Future Hokage, you'll be in Sanjou-sensei's class this year." Iruka pointed at a slightly large man talking to the slightly scowling Uchiha Fugaku and his son (4).

"Naru-chan?" Hikari looked concernedly at the now-hiding boy.

"Scary man," the little boy whispered.

"Who? Uchiha Fugaku? He _is_ pretty scary. Once," she whispered conspiratorially, "I went into a ramen bar. And guess what I saw?"

"What?" Naruto whispered back.

"I saw him wasting ramen…by dumping a whole bowl of it into the trash!"

"Nooooooooo!!" Naruto screamed in a rage. He then proceeded to run around screaming "Ramen, ramen, ramen", attracting much attention and many glares from nearby parents.

"Wait! Naru-chan! Come back!" Hikari shouted as he ran over towards Fugaku, no doubt trying to punish him for hurting the all-sacred ramen.

"You insulted my ramen, you no good bas—" Hikari quickly clapped a hand before he could insult the _very_ proud Uchiha head.

"Control your brat girl," the man coldly stated. "And keep him away from my son, or you will find yourself in a lot of trouble. I don't want any _filth_ staining the Uchiha reputation."

"Is that a threat?" she asked softly. No one insulted _her_ Naru-chan like that and got away with it.

"It's a fact." Fugaku proceeded to turn on his heel. "Come, Sasuke."

The shy black-haired boy glanced at Naruto with something akin to both awe and disbelief. Reluctantly turning away, he trotted after his father.

The intercom on the wall crackled and came to life. "Will all students and parents please report to the lecture hall? Again, will all students and parents please report to the lecture hall? Thank you for your cooperation."

"That's our cue, Naru-chan!" She tugged on her son's hand, and they went to a large building at the center of the campus.

* * *

The meeting turned out to be very boring. All the headmaster talked about was procedures and the curriculum of the school, as well as the famous shinobi who had all come out of the Academy.

_No duh,_ Hikari thought, bored out of her mind. All_ the ninja in Konoha have come from the Academy, including the famous ones…with the exception of Shodaime-sama and Nidaime-sama._

Gently, she shook the snoozing Naruto awake. "Time to go with Sanjou-sensei, Naru-chan."

"No!" he wailed as he clutched onto her sleeve, all sleepiness instantly fleeing. "I don't wanna leave kaa-chan!"

"There, there Naru-chan," she consoled, hugging her son tightly. "Iruka-san will be here. And if anything goes wrong and I'm not here, you can find Hokage-sama or your uncles and aunts when school is over. Maybe Konohamaru-chan will be awake and play with you."

"But…but I don't want to leave you!"

"Don't worry," she grinned and winked at him. "I'm sure with your amazing attitude, you'll get so many friends today. I won't be able to memorize all their names."

"O-okay," Naruto sniffled, wiping away his tears.

"Now, one last hug, and you'll be off to become the greatest Hokage ever!"

The two embraced, and the young mother watched proudly as her son went to catch up with the rest of his class.

* * *

"Why did you try to do that with Otou-sama?"

Naruto peered up at a pale, black-haired boy. He wondered who he was when he saw the fan stitched on his shirt. It was the Scary Man's son!

"He disre—disreplecked ramen, the greatest food in the world!" Naruto proclaimed, defending his righteous attempt to 'penalize' Fugaku.

"It's disrespected, not 'disreplecked'…you ramen-obsessed dobe."

"What? Who's a ramen-obsessed dobe, you teme?!" Naruto shouted. Nobody insulted the great name of ramen…or himself, for that matter.

And thus, the be-yoo-tee-ful friendship of the Teme (Sasuke) and the Dobe (Naruto) was formed, with a capital B.

* * *

A group of other boys came up to Naruto and Sasuke, who were shouting at each other. Well…Naruto was shouting and Sasuke was talking. The group could see that it was all in good fun, so they started to insult each other as well…which wasn't so good of an idea.

Soon, foul words (courtesy of Inuzuka Kiba) were flying about, and poor Sanjou-sensei could barely control his temper. The only people who didn't participate were Hyuuga Hinata (who was far too shy and kind to _really_ mean anything offending) and Shikamaru (who thought it was too "troublesome" to join and fell asleep).

Iruka, wondering what all the noise was about, came in during recess and met this chaos headfirst.

"Sanjou-sensei?"

"Yes, Umino-sensei?" the poor man said as he rubbed his temples.

"What happened here?" he asked, ducking casually as a chair flew over his head.

"Suzaki-Uzumaki and Uchiha-kun started insulting each other."

"Ah." Iruka sighed. He walked to where Sanjou-sensei was sitting and slammed his hands down on the table. "ALRIGHT, YOU LITTLE PUNKS! WHO'S READY TO LEARN ON HOW TO BE A FULL-FLEDGED NINJA?"

The punching, kicking, shouting, biting, and all that lovely stuff stopped as the students stared at Iruka like he was an alien from Pluto.

Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino both hesitantly raised their hands. "I do?" they said together.

"WELL, YOU'LL HAVE TO LEARN ABOUT HOW TO BE ONE FROM SANJOU-SENSEI OVER HERE!" Spittle flew out of his mouth as he pointed to the now-gaping Sanjou. "SO PIPE DOWN AND PAY ATTENTION! Sanjou-sensei, the floor's all yours." Iruka took a deep breath and exited the room, no doubt ready to go back to his own class.

"…That was the coolest thing I have ever seen!" Kiba whispered in admiration to Aburame Shino.

* * *

"Naru-chaan!"

"Kaa-chaan!"

The two Suzakis ran towards each other and hugged fiercely.

"I missed you!"

"I missed you too!"

"Five hours is way too long a period to be spent without you!"

"Hikari."

"Think of how bored your uncles and aunts are without you!"

"Hikari!"

"From now on, I'm going to Academy with you!"

"HIKARI!"

"Huh?" Hikari whipped around, staring at a shouting Kakashi. "What do you want One-eye?"

"I came to see how Naruto-kun was doing on his first day of the Academy...and I told you not to call me that!"

"One-eye!"

"Outrageously hyperactive person!"

"Little girl!"

"Cycl—What the he—heck (5) did you just call me?"

"Tiny, pint-sized, midget girl who can't even hold a pencil!"

"Argh! You'll pay for that!" Hikari flew in a rage at a now terrified Kakashi. "Come back here you coward! I wanna punch your lights out, rip your limbs off, and bash your brains out! Then, I'll revive you with a forbidden jutsu just so I can do it all over again!" An assortment of weapons flew out of her hand as she hurled them at a desperately running Kakashi.

"Hey, Naruto?" Chouji said, chomping on some chips.

"Yeah?"

"Your mom's kinda scary."

"She only gets like that when someone calls her little. Otherwise, she's the best kaa-chan ever!" he proclaimed, eyes shining.

"Whatever floats your boat."

Hikari came back, still angrily muttering. "Stupid cyclops of a man…he can't even stop…those perverted books of his…I'll kill him one day…oh yes…"

"Kaa-chan?"

She snapped out of her insane rambling and smiled at her son. "Yes, Naru-chan?"

"Can I invite Sasuke over? Pleease?" He looked at her with puppy-dog eyes and a watery pout.

_Must resist cutest pout ever…need to not look at deep blue sapphire eyes…Oh kami! Is he doing the _Look?! _Oh screw this!_

"He's welcome to come over, but only if he wants to and his parents agree."

"Oi, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted at Sasuke. "Wanna come over and play?"

Sasuke looked uncertain. Glancing at his nodding mother, Uchiha Mikoto, he too joined the fun, albeit a tad more seriously than the other boys.

"Suzaki Hikari-san…hmm…" Mikoto said thoughtfully. _Best to watch this one and see what happens._

* * *

**Author's note:**

Okay…I'm sorry this wasn't on time. You can consider it an early New Year's gift if you like.

I do realize that Naruto and Sasuke shouldn't be calling one another 'teme' and 'dobe', but I couldn't resist adding that bit in. Same thing with adding in Kakashi's bit.

This was also shorter. I meant it to be longer, but I got stuck after Mikoto's part. I think I'm going to think about it and put their time at Naruto's place in the next chapter.

This was also one of the chapters which I didn't get too much inspiration for. It was more of a filler than anything else. *sigh*

**Anyway…the voting for Itachi's relationship with Hikari is:**

**Romance:** 3 (to kuramasgurl018: I'm leaning towards making this a non-massacre fic. I'm not sure if I can pull it off but I'll try.)

**Friendship:** 1

The voting's still open though.

* * *

These _are _footnotes right?

(1) I'm not exactly sure when the Academy starts…so I put it as some time in the spring.

(2) I'm too lazy to actually put in "Hajimemashite", "yoroshiku", or anything in similar context. Sorry! I just don't feel like researching all those phrases up.

(3) Since Hikari is Naruto's mom, I decided to make Naruto change his last name. (Naruto: Nooooooooo!! The Uzumaki name will live on forever!) Sorry to all those who wanted Naruto's last name to stay as Uzumaki.

(4) Does anybody know that actual name of the dude who talked with Fugaku and Sasuke on the first day? He's the guy who commented on how smart Sasuke must be if he was the brother of Itachi.

(5) Hikari's in front of a whole bunch of kids. If I were Hikari, I wouldn't want to swear in front of them either.

**

* * *

**

Please leave your thoughts or comments by writing a review. Thanks! Sorry if this chapter sucked and was completely pointless.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi there! Sorry for not updating recently…writer's block. It happens to all of us. Plus, my teachers seem to be out to get us students…tons of homework and the same PE teacher again! Not that there's anything wrong with him, but I just find his class kind of un-motivational. Another thing…If you look carefully at my favorites list, you'll see that it's grown with a bazillion more fanfics (mostly Harry Potter, I've been hooked on it since the middle of summer). Yeah…list of typical excuses!

**Song of the Day:** "Dear You" from Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni and by Yudzuki. It's really beautiful.

**Random thing of the Day:** Has anybody ever noticed how frickin' _HUGE_ an organ is? It's like…ginormous!

Thank you to **Elemental Dragon Swordman, D R A G O N L I L I E S, JustJazzy **(new reviewer!), **kuramasgurl018, Thousand Tailed Holy FlashFang **(new reviewer!), **Gwenny-Dear, **and last but definitely not least, **ragnorokrising! **You guys and gals always leave such nice reviews! Also, thanks to all you people who recently added this to whatever list you put it on, be it Faves or Alerts.

Okay time to review reply! (To all you peeps who didn't give me a reply address.)  
**Gwenny-Dear:** You're so observant as always. When I first wrote the last chapter, I put in a fight scene. Unfortunately, I thought it was really pathetic, so I erased it all. Due to my lack of brain juice, I forgot that I still had #6 as a footnote. Heh heh. Still, if anybody wants to know, Naruto Chuushin Jutsu List is still my favorite jutsu list. (I just realized something…I spelled Chuushin as 'Chuusin' in my last chapter. I'm such a bad speller!) I think you did vote earlier…thanks for doing so again! Also…I thought the teme part was overboard but I couldn't resist adding it in.

**JustJazzy**: I'm so glad that you think so! "Once Upon a December" seemed appropriate at the time (since it was December)…and it's been one of my favorite songs since I watched "Anastasia" all those years ago (I think five…I forgot.)

**Disclaimer:** I do not, will not, have not, and should not own anything Naruto…besides my weird daydreams, Naruto-themed plot bunnies (who attack me), and Hikari. Now on to the **fan**fic! (Oh wow, I just realized that this entire upside took over 400 words O.O' I have got to stop rambling!)

* * *

**Suzaki Hikari**

Chapter Five

Konoha's setting sun was a truly spectacular sight. Many travelers often told anyone who would listen about the tranquil setting, further spreading tales of the Leaf's scenic beauty.

As the golden orb slowly hid behind mellow pink and cream-colored clouds, the sun's rays bathed the entire village in a glowing light. Many Konoha denizens would often stop to admire this daily spectacle, marveling in its never-ceasing beauty. Even the Hokage, who worked tirelessly to help the village, looked out through his windowed office to view the panoramic scene.

However, the usual peace was disrupted by two laughing boys and a running silver-haired preteen.

"Can't catch me, Kaa-chan!"

Hikari groaned and closed her eyes. _When did he become so…hyperactive? Scratch that. When did he become this little devil?_

Hikari, Sasuke, and Naruto had been playing hide-and-seek and tag for the past hour. Due to Sasuke's ability to stay eerily quiet and Naruto's street smarts, Hikari had been running all over Konoha trying to find the dastardly duo. Of course, Hikari could have used her ninja training and chakra, but that would've seemed like cheating. Besides, Naruto could get more stamina training this way.

The young girl (1) was currently chasing after the two laughing boys, trying her best to avoid crashing into a vendor or pedestrian. She was doing well so far…

"Hey! Watch where you're going, ya damn brat!"

…or not. Someone was going to be out of a couple of tomatoes.

"Sorry!" she skidded to a stop. "Naru-chan! Sasuke-kun! You get back here and apologize to this man!"

The two giggling children ran back to the girl who tapped her foot, waiting for a response.

"Sorry Kaa-chan," Naruto said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"It's okay. Now apologize to this jii-san (2) right here!" She pointed at a now indignantly-red man.

"Jii-san? I'll have you know that I'm 32 years old, a very respectable age! Why, when I was your age, I treated everyone at least ten years older than me with the highest res—"

"Yeah, yeah," Hikari said, waving a hand at him absentmindedly. "Now, as I was saying, apologize to this old man!"

Naruto and Sasuke both turned to the now sputtering man and bowed. "Sorry for knocking your cart over Mister Jii-san (3)." To add to the effect, Sasuke used to ever-famous Uchiha puppy dog pout TM and Naruto his wide-eyed, teary sapphires. After what seemed a century, the tomato-seller's anger dissipated, and his eyes softened considerably.

Satou Hiro, your average vegetable-seller with an average family (two children and a loving wife), had never felt so _guilty_. _How could I be mad at these perfect little angels?_ His mind thought, inwardly sobbing in shame.

"I-it's okay," he managed to croak out. "H-here. Have a tomato." He offered a succulent red fruit (4) to each of the 'angels'.

Naruto stared at it suspiciously before taking a huge bite out of it. "Hey! This isn't so bad! What do you think teme (5)?" He turned to his friend, jaw dropping as he saw the raven-haired boy's state. Little Uchiha Sasuke, adorable baby of the Uchiha Clan, was devouring his tomato like a dragon deprived of juicy meats for centuries (or Anko separated from her dango for a day), squirting red juices and yellow seeds all over his face and staining the front of his turtleneck.

"What?" Sasuke shrugged when he saw his friend's reaction. "Do I have something on my face?"

Hikari chuckled at the puzzled look Sasuke gave her son. "Why don't we take you home and get you cleaned up? I'm sure you're mother must be calling you for dinner now."

And so, the unlikely trio of a young mother, her happy-go-lucky son, and tomato-shirt-wearing Uchiha joined hands and set off to the Uchiha district.

* * *

Swiftly and silently, a katana sliced through the air, severing the snarling man's head from his body. It twirled around, plunging into another's stomach. The body burst into smoke, revealing a block of wood.

_Kawarimi _(6)! Itachi thought. Quickly, he jumped onto a nearby branch, avoiding a barrage of kunai that speared the grassy ground.

"Yahh!" A man jumped down through the leaves, screaming bloody murder.

Not even bothering to dodge, he thrust his katana upward, catching the shinobi's body on the blade. The man was instantly dead as the point pierced his heart.

He could faintly hear the soft pitter-patter of falling rain on the hard, rough bark. Feeling unnaturally calm, he quickly moved as a shower of weapons speared the wood near his feet.

Itachi felt a faint annoyance creep up through his heart, as if it were a tentative mouse, crawling in unfamiliar territory. Though the rain was useful camouflage, it also severely dampened the effectiveness of his Fire jutsus.

His face not moving one pale inch, he crept into the miscellany of flora. Sending out one pulse of valuable chakra, he sensed many men still hiding.

As if the chakra pulse was a signal, the enemy charged forward, yelling out their battle cries and wielding their bulky weapons.

Itachi nearly shook with annoyance and frustration. How many more were hidden in this forest? There seemed to be no end to them!

"We know who you are, Uchiha," one faceless thug cried out hatefully. _Why did his voice have to sound so full of loathing? _Itachi wondered. "Scion of the Uchiha clan, you have killed many of our brethren. No longer shall we stand by and let you slaughter our children and our brothers. Today you die!" With a roar, they charged towards the seemingly emotionless teenager.

_Die…die…die…_ The word seemed to echo in his mind, like a faint memory caressing the borders of his mind. Like a droplet landing on a still lake, it sent undulating ripples through his body.

A scarlet veil seemed to flutter down and cover his eyes, blurring everything in front of his vision. _Cut, slice, chop, kill, cut, slice, chop, kill…die!_ It was an endless monotony of a battle. No, it wasn't a battle. Battles were supposed to be thrilling, glorifying, and adrenaline-charged. This was a massacre.

Slowly, the haze seemed to lift. He looked around at his handiwork. Bodies littered the once-serene forest, and red painted the bark of the tall, scarred trees.

One crawling shinobi tried to stand up but ended up collapsing in a puddle of crimson blood. "Y-you m-monster!" he croaked out, fear shining out of his eyes.

Itachi slowly moved closer to the gasping man. "B-class Konoha missing-nin Takahashi Chitose. Accused of desertion and stealing from the village funds. May your soul rest in Hell." (7) Swinging his sword down, he ended the life of the pitiful man before him.

Ever since he had been small, his father and tutors had ingrained into him that duty was the most important thing. Duty was the one truth that would never leave this world. Duty was on par with Kami. He hated it, and yet, at the same time, loved it.

He headed home quickly, not wanting to fight anymore ninja that may have been in the vicinity. Stopping after running for a few miles, he clutched his chest and let a single, pearly tear slide down his alabaster face. _Die…_Why did duty hurt so much? _Die…so I can live…_

* * *

"Bye Sasuke-kun!" Hikari waved at the little boy standing next to his mother. Sasuke waved back shyly, almost all traces of his previous mischievous behavior gone.

Hikari and Naruto turned around and headed towards the opposite direction. Naruto happily skipped along the dark, lifeless street. The silver-haired girl shivered. This was one of the reasons she hated going to the Uchiha District. It was always so cold and quiet at night, so different from the bright, boisterous streets of downtown Konoha.

"Come on Naru-chan," she urged, wanting to head to their apartment quickly. "I want to be able to see what you learned today at the Academy."

"'Kay." Naruto looked at his mother a bit weirdly. She normally didn't act like this. Still, everyone had their weird quirks. It didn't stop his Kaa-san from being the best mama in the world!

Hikari ignored her son's questioning gaze and looked around the street nervously. It was at times like these when her senses were at full alert.

Walking briskly down the dimly-lit street, Hikari sensed a slowly approaching person.

Out of the shadows came a swaying, rather intoxicated man. He leered when he saw the two others on the street.

"Hey there _doll_," he drawled unpleasantly. Hikari grimaced. She could smell the alcohol on his breath from where she stood. "What's a sweet thing like you doing here on these lonely streets?" The man chuckled at his poor attempt at flirtation.

"What do you want?" Hikari asked tightly, pushing Naruto close behind her. Carefully, she slipped a kunai in her hand.

"Oh nothing much…a little _this _and _that_." He seemed to peer behind her. "Oho! What do we have here?" Drunkenly smirking, he pointed at a shaking Naruto.

"Leave him alone!" Hikari snarled. This man was one of _them_, those idiots who hated Naruto because of his tenant.

"But that's the demon!" he mockingly whined. "He's killed so many! C'mon. Let me have a crack at him, sweetheart."

Naruto stared at this man with pained eyes. He was just like the other villagers, spouting out strange excuses for hurting him. The boy just didn't understand! Why did so many people hate him? He had never hurt anybody, except for the time when a couple of young children had tried taking away what precious few money he had gathered.

"Come here little Kyuubi," the drunkard crooned. "I'll be _sure_ to take good care of you." The stranger's face contorted into a fierce snarl. Pulling out two hidden daggers, he rushed towards the trembling blonde.

Hikari felt an inner fire burn within her. This stupid ninja had the audacity to target her Naru-chan!

With strength she didn't know, she put her hands together and concentrated her chakra into her eyes.

"Kanashibari no Jutsu! (8)"

The advancing ninja suddenly stopped his rush. A primal feeling of fear swept over him. It was like Death himself was staring down at his soul, licking his chops and salivating. _Run…run…RUN!_ Dropping his weapons in terror, he began fleeing in earnest, all drunkenness seemingly disappearing.

Growling, Hikari prepared to chase after the foolish man. She stopped as she heard a faint whimper from behind her.

"Naru-chan?" she asked softly. The quivering, crying boy in front of her emitted soft sounds like a lost puppy abandoned by his beloved owner.

_Oh Naru-chan._ Hikari thought sadly. He had also reacted like this whenever a few civilian dared to attempt to hurt Naruto.

"Come on," she murmured soothingly. "Let's just go home and you can play with Buta-chan (9) and take a hot, warm bath."

Carrying her nearly unconscious son, she hopped away and over rooftops. Hopefully, by the time they got home, he would have calmed down.

Finally reaching their apartment, she gently lowered him onto his bed. Softly singing a child's lullaby, she remembered the fuss he had made when she had first gotten him the bed.

* * *

"_No! I don't wanna!" Naruto cried, latching on to his Kaa-chan's leg. "I don't wanna leave you!"_

_Slightly exasperated, Hikari took Naruto by both of his shoulders. "Naru-chan, it's just a new room. Soon, you'll be such a big boy and I won't be able to let you sleep in my bed!"_

_The little bunch of blonde spikes only clutched her leg even tighter. She looked at the newly furnished room. Light blue walls, a midnight ceiling (complete with small stars), a large plush bed, a bookshelf and desk…it should have been the bedroom of his dreams!_

_And yet…she could understand his reluctance to leave her own sleeping quarters. As a child, she too had attached herself to her comfort figure. After that…well, she had learned too much to ever do that again._

_Sighing, she kneeled down to his level and looked him in one cobalt eye. "How about this? I'll make you a deal. If you can sleep in your new room for an entire month, I'll let you choose between which room you want to sleep in."_

"_Even if it's yours?" Naruto asked in a childish, suspicious tone._

"_Even if it's mine," she reassured._

* * *

He had taken to the bed so well. She giggled and remembered his awkwardness as the month had come and gone like the wind.

"K-kaa-chan?" Naruto rasped softly, a few tears slowly trekking down his tan face.

She looked up, startled out of her memories. Dawn was beginning to come up and the first few rays of light were sneaking up on Konoha. She hadn't realized that time had passed so quickly.

"Yes?"

"W-why do the v-villagers hate m-me so much?" His voice was so raw from crying…just like before.

"Why do they want to hurt me so much?" Sobs now racked his tiny body. If she could, she would've killed all who had ever injured her son.

"Oh Naru-chan," she whispered, lightly stroking his yellow spikes. She remembered that conversation with the Hokage so long ago. How much time had passed since then? Days? Weeks? Months? Kami, it felt like centuries!

Steeling her inner self, she asked him a question that had been asked every night since they had become mother and son. This time, however, she would be telling him what he longed to know. "Would you like to hear the real story about Kyuubi?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

There! After yet another month and a half, I have finally updated. Admittedly, it isn't as good or as long as I had hoped for. Still, I have the next two Mondays off! Yay holidays!

This was one of those more serious chapters. Sorry if the humor level was way below 'low'.

I added in another Itachi scene! To **Gwenny-Dear**: This was the fight scene I was talking about earlier. I still think it needs work though. *sigh*

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**Footnotes:**

(1) She's about twelve and a half now.

(2) Umm…for those of you who are thinking, "Does she mean 'uncle' or 'grandpa'?" I meant to put 'grandpa'. I get very confused sometimes.

(3) I know "Mister Jii-san" sounds redundant but I think it's better than saying just plain 'jii-san'. That sounds so…old.

(4) For the record, I dislike tomatoes raw or not processed into something like ketchup or tomato sauce…it's got this funky taste to it otherwise. Ketchup is king…after chocolate and soy sauce of course ^_^.

(5) Again, I could not resist adding that in.

(6) I think Kawarimi means Substitution…

(7) Crappy I know. I didn't know what people say when they see a missing-nin, so I just inserted some random stuff. ^_^'

(8) Kanashibari no Jutsu: translated into Body Freeze Skill by Naruto Chuushin. It was used by Orochimaru in the Chuunin exams. If there's another website with a list of Naruto jutsus, please tell me!

(9) Buta: pig, referring to his pig plushie from Chapter 3

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The **vote:**

Anyway…I'm still waiting for votes on Itachi's/Hikari's relationship. (I don't recount votes, sorry. It just doesn't seem fair. :( )

**Romance** (the oh-so-lovey-dovey concept): 3

**Friendship** (that warm, fuzzy wuzzy, my best friend idea): 1

I know that there have only been 23 reviews so far but please vote. I really need to know what you readers want. Would you people prefer it if I made it an official poll on my bio page?

* * *

So…with all that said and done, I will now ask of you what every writer wants: reviews please! I need you people's opinions and ideas! Please note that all revisions are being taken care of as you tell me.

Thanks!

--Blackie


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